Prophets theatre review: Rushed religious thriller
Jack MacGregor’s latest fast-paced drama muses on religion and redemption, in a promising piece that is limited by a tight run-time
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Jack MacGregor is an up-and-coming playwright from Inverness, notable for works that reach well beyond the bounds of the domestic and familiar. Their award-winning Fringe play Everything Under the Sun depicted a peacekeeping mission in Mali. The recent Our Brother was set in Cambodia at the time of the Khmer Rouge.
MacGregor’s latest takes place on a rocky outcrop in the Pacific, a British Overseas Territory called Saint John, with a population of 48. The protagonist is Kerris (Rebecca Wilkie), a paleo-climatologist, researching ancient weather patterns. She’s welcomed to the island by Joe (Xander Cowan), an eager, if troubled, young man who gathers fish by day and worships zealously in the local church at night. If Joe is clearly harbouring secrets, Kerris, with her persistent interest in rumours of a local religious cult and their practices, is also not who she claims to be.
It’s an intriguing premise, with all the hallmarks of a good-quality thriller. With a little more room to breathe, this would make an exceptionally compelling piece of theatre or a gripping TV series. Yet, in the context of an hour-long fringe show, Kerris’ investigation feels truncated, while the atmosphere created in Fraser Scott’s production is oppressive rather than open to the elements (and not just because of the stifling heat of the boxy venue in which the two-hander is staged). It would be interesting to see the show return in an expanded version with the same cast: both actors give moving performances as a pair of lost souls with a shot at redemption.
Assembly Roxy, until 31 August, 5.45pm; picture: Giulia Ferrando.